


Growing Up Mando

by BB_Boule



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, The Mandalorian (TV)
Genre: Action/Adventure, Adolescence, Childhood Friends, Coming of Age, Dealing With Loss, F/M, First Love, Gen, Grief/Mourning, Identity Issues, Parent-Child Relationship, Prequel, Secret Crush, Slow Burn, Teen Angst, a lot of differences from s1e1 Din, being mandalorian doesnt stop them from good ol rebellious fun, group shenanigans, kicking ass & breaking curfew, still a sweet boy at heart tho
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-13
Updated: 2021-01-13
Packaged: 2021-03-13 00:53:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,677
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28644762
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BB_Boule/pseuds/BB_Boule
Summary: Mandalorians are fearless. They take on any challenge they must and do it with weapons ready and fists raised. They follow the Way even when death is a sure possibility.But with only a month before taking the Creed, young Din Djarin finds that the training hadn't prepared him for the throes of being thirteen years old. Armor can't protect against growing pains, first love, and self-confidence issues.And the big question was how to solve it all before following the Way becomes his life's top priority?
Relationships: Din Djarin & Death Watch Dad (AKA his Mandalorian dad), Din Djarin & Original Character(s), Din Djarin & Original Female Character(s)
Kudos: 3





	Growing Up Mando

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i swear the pacing is shit in this chapter i think i got this one out too quick but welp here we are
> 
> ad'ika - child

The wind battered thousands of stone pillars. They rose from the ground like horns and their various sized passageways made the winds howl and whip with impressive force. Targets were scattered throughout the valley for miles, ranging in sizes and fixed onto the rocks. 

With blasters in hand, Mandalorian younglings weaved through using the power of their jetpacks. They were ten in total, each one concentrated on their path.

Among them, Din Djarin swooped between two thin pillars to hit a target near the ground and narrowly dodged another one on his ascent to find the next target. He bull's-eyed three small ones before a sudden gust of wind caused his shoulder to scrape against rock. He gritted his teeth and pressed a few buttons on his wrist to make sure the jetpack stayed calibrated.

Training in the Rising Phoenix was no joke. Especially in the Fighting Corps.

Getting off the ground and flying were challenges of the past. Those were the lessons they learned four years ago, the same year the Mandalorians welcomed Din as their own. This current obstacle was nearing the last rung of their training as younglings. It combined all prior lessons into something new to master.

With those lessons, they relied on hours of practice and reflexes. The instinctual decision making that resulted meant they could survive.

Maintaining the same, precise focus as minutes went by was another part of the obstacle. Din was sure they were almost at the ten minute mark judging by the sloppy shots and flying errors he happened to catch others making. One in dull green armor flew up and above the peaks to an adult. Ten in total, one to track each child, their job was to notice those mistakes and call them up to avoid potential danger.

Din maintained the same agility but concentrated on the larger targets as a compromise. It was the better choice today since the winds were particularly fierce. Shooting and flying at the same level made a sure recipe for disaster.

Then the group dwindled to half its size. He had just shot a small target near the base of a pillar and swerved to the left when a flash of dove gray armor flew overhead. The youngling fired two shots, one after the other. They both landed on small targets in opposite directions. Finally, she somehow pulled out of stubborn current to evade a thick pillar with plenty of space to spare.

Her movement transfixed Din from below and three targets flew by. Large, easy ones. Not that Din noticed, though.

His gaze was stuck upward, waiting her next move. To see her move again like a young bird hunting. Din's vision suddenly blurred; a mix of blue and gray. He was flying forward, spinning head over heels, blaster gone. The jetpack sputtered as its user lost sense of all direction. Fear and shock gripped his throat. He was at the mercy of the wind and rock.

And then, a hard yank on Din's arm. He was hanging limply in the air, a couple feet above the ground, the blue of the sky back where it belonged. 

"Do you think you can you stand?"

He lowered the boy to the ground, hand still grasping the inside of his elbow. Din's heavy panting in the stillness of the valley's ground hung in the air between the question and his answer. 

"Y-yeah. I'm goo-" The word was cut off by a sharp intake of breath. 

"Dank farrik!" Din stumbled and grabbed onto the Mandalorian's arm. "It's my left shin."

"I figured as much. I saw the whole thing." 

The adult set him down and walked back to retrieve the lost blaster.

"Why didn't you comm me up, then?" Din yelled after. "My shooting was subpar. I was basically wasting my time at that point." The man walked back with the blaster in hand before responding. 

"Will you improve if I always stop you at the same point?" Din bristled at the question and looked up. He handed back the weapon, gaze remaining on him.

"Focus on perseverance, ad'ika. You can't afford to make too many mistakes when you're by yourself."

The flash of light armor popped into mind.

Din wanted to kick himself.

"You're right, Enzo," Din suppressed a sigh. "I'll focus more next time."

Then Din felt an arm go behind his knees and one around his shoulders. His arm flailed outward in surprise as Enzo lifted off towards the sky.

"Wa- wait! I can still fly what are you doing?!" 

Din desperately wanted to plant his hand against the chest plate and push away. He glared up at Enzo letting out a chuckle, praying that no one would be nearby above the peaks.

"Wouldn't want these rocks taking you on for round two." 

No.

Not the others.

It was a minor injury. They couldn't see him get carried away to medbay like a child. But when the valley was below Enzo's feet, there was only the two of them in the sky. Din's fingers relaxed their hold on the blaster.

Then Enzo turned around.

There, behind them, was the group. Hovering far away but close enough to identify them.

And there she was. Looking at him, head tilted to the side.

He felt his body tense up against Enzo's arms.

"Din hit a rock. Nothing too serious but I'm taking him to medbay." 

One of the adults responded to the message with a salute and Enzo flew away in the opposite direction. 

• • • •

At medbay, Din sat on a bed with his left leg stretched out. The plates of armor piled on top of his folded pants on the floor. The other foot bounced beside them in agitation as the medical droid sprayed bacta onto the angry red bump.

Of course this thing had to be on duty today. Couldn't catch a break here, either. 

Din examined the dozen or so empty beds in the room to distract himself from it. The bacta made his leg feel warmer but then a sudden cold pierced through. His head snapped back towards the droid.

"Do you mind?" Din hissed.

The droid, unfazed, repositioned the cold pack after the brusque movement.

"This is to remain on the injury for a minimum of ten minutes. Then you may leave," It answered flatly and returned to its place on the far side of the room.

As if on cue, a youngling in cobalt blue armor came running through the door, stopping in his tracks when he spotted Din. He then bounded to the side of his bed like a puppy.

"WOAH!"

He exclaimed at the bump through the pack, then turned to Din. 

"Ok picture that but if you _hadn't_ been wearing armor." The boy proposed to Din as if it were the start of a joke.

"Do you require medical assista-" The droid took a step back towards the boys, prepared to abandon its previous destination.

"Nope I'm all good, T39," The youngling said and clapped a hand on Din's shoulder. "Just visiting a patient."

"Hey, Predor," Din said with less than a shred of his enthusiasm. "Did you all get back recently?"

"Yeah but I'm the only one who came back up," Predor sat down on the bed. "Everyone's by the lake."

Din frowned.

"Why didn't you stay with them? I'm not that hurt. Really."

"Hey if I want to spend free time with a friend then that's my business, ok? And besides, after I saw Enzo carry you away like some warrior out of battle I had to see your leg for myself."

An injured warrior out of battle? Far from it. Din seriously doubted the others had the same impression. But he banked on it a little, at least because it helped him feel a bit better.

"Thank you," Din said, touched by his answer. "There's barely anything to see, though, my legs fine. And there was no reason for him to carry me off like that. He didn't even ask me if I could fly he just _picked_ me up." 

Annoyance rose in his chest as the situation replayed in his mind. Then Enzo's words. His critique despite being one of the last younglings left.

Din fiddled with his thumbs, feelings building and building, turning into words. 

"But Enzo seems to either expect the impossible from me or babies me like a new foundling. I really don't get it."

He exhaled and looked at Predor, wondering if the complaint was valid and how his friend would perceive it. Predor lowered his head, appearing to ponder Din's words for a moment before speaking. 

"Well he was the one who found you, right? So maybe it's an old habit he can't break."

"Yeah," Din replied, unsatisfied with the answer. "Maybe."

"I wouldn't worry about it too much if I were you. You're pretty solid on all of the skills and you're one of the best at Rising Phoenix. As for me hah no thanks. If someone tells me to fly I'll do it from a cockpit."

"You're not bad, though," Din offered, trying to forget those previous words.

One of the best.

A certain person came to mind whenever he heard them. Gray armor, graceful movements, and- no. No more he wasn't going to think about it. That distraction was what had created this whole mess.

"And I dunno I'm just getting by."

Din didn't want Predor bringing himself down for his own sake. After years of constant practice and learning, there wasn't one bad trainee among them. Each youngling was adequately accomplished in this phase of training. What else could be expected from Mandalorians? Of course, everyone had their strengths and weaknesses, some were average at certain skills while others were proficient. Predor, for example, was typically one of the first out in the valley but he could pilot circles around most of them on any given day.

They talked about the dodginess of the obstacle that day and how they each had managed until T39 announced that the ten minutes were up. Both boys turned their attention to the cold pack. Din moved the pack off with the shake of the leg. There were tinges of purple but the bump was gone. It could pass as a regular bruise caused by sparring rather than a high speed rock crash.

There was a faint ache in it when he stood up but other than that, good as new. 

"Do you want to go down to the lake?" Predor asked as Din put his pants and pieces of armor back on.

Not really. 

"Sure," Din sighed.

Better to get it over with now than later.

• • • •

Birds sang in the trees, leaved branches cast splotches of shadows on the ground, and the temperature was pleasant. Din balanced his attention between the surrounding nature and Predor's chatting. If he distracted himself enough with ordinary, normal things then maybe he'd feel normal at the shore, too.

He took note of how much dust their feet were kicking up. It left behind little wisps of earth and the stones made each step crunch. Din wondered when it would rain again. He was about to mention it out loud when distant voices interrupted the thought.

Suddenly talking felt out of place.

He managed some uncommitted "mhm"s in reply to Predor as they came to the bottom of the hill. Voices became distinct and figures moved behind the bushes. Din followed close behind Predor who pushed through an opening in the foliage. 

Eight younglings turned towards the newcomers from various spots on the shore. From those perched on the boulder to some sitting on the sand and others standing by the water. She was on the boulder. Din only snuck a glance, knowing the helmet would betray him.

He came up to Predor's side, pretended that the quiet talking didn't bother him. Someone spoke up and asked if he was okay. 

"I am," Din replied. The talking then increased in volume as quickly as it had decreased. Still, Din felt awkward as he followed Predor to the foot of the boulder where a boy in brown armor sat. 

"I was waiting for you two," The boy said nonchalantly. 

"Sure looks it, lazy bones," Predor patted his helmet then sat down in the sand beside him.

"Hey, Ker," Din nodded and followed suit.

"Welcome back, princess." 

Din turned to the voice by the water's edge. A boy in red armor stood next to some others skipping stones. The one right next to him stopped with a stone in hand and also looked at Din.

"To what do we owe this honor?" He added and they both started laughing. Din's brow furrowed. 

"Mind your business," Ker said, throwing the knife he'd been palming straight into the sand.

The first boy glanced at the metal handle sticking up by Ker's foot.

"Alright cool it, Ker," he said, challenge in his voice.

Ker met his stare evenly before the other finally turned his attention back to searching for flat stones.

Predor shook his head and grumbled some curses. Ker retrieved the knife and continued drawing lines in the sand. Din leaned back against the boulder, his helmet clacking against it upon contact.

It was better to not say anything. He'd avoid another mess if he could help it.

"Forget about it," Din said to his friends, half for his own sake. "They can't help being idiots."

Din turned his head towards Predor and Ker who both looked back at him.

"Ker, how was your run?"

Ker held up the knife and starting brushing a gloved thumb over the edge of the blade. "The hardest one I can remember. I got called up after my forearm plate came off."

Predor whistled, following up by asking what had happened leading up to it. Ker explained which prompted another question from Predor.

Ker was the type to share details only if asked for them. Predor had a gift for asking. Din enjoyed the exchange between his friends and listened as they recounted maneuvers and good shots.

"What about you and-" Ker gestured with the knife at Din's legs.

Din sighed and explained what had happened, carefully withholding the cause of the spill. It really had been a hard run so not even Predor could wonder what caused it. Din finished explaining the accident and rested his head back against the boulder.

"Wait you have to tell Ker what you told me at medbay. Like that move where you stepped on the rock and you..."

Sharing how the accident had happened and thinking about its cause brought back so much embarrassment for Din that he forgot that they expected him to talk more. He repeated what he told Predor earlier to Ker who nodded intently throughout.

"Do you guys want to play a game?" 

A voice from the top of the boulder rang down to the boys. They looked up at the same time at its source.

Din's mouth instantly felt dry.

"What game?" Ker called up to her and then Predor chimed in humorously.

"Yeah, Nerine, make it a good one this time."

"Dunno yet but we need more players."

Din could only stare up at her, arms stretched over the curve of the rock and body far enough downwards to keep from slipping over. Even in such a clumsy position Nerine managed to look charming.

"We'll pass on it," Din voice rose from his throat like a stranger's.

His answer hung in the air for a few seconds.

To Din, a few hours.

"Whatever," Nerine said good-naturedly. She briefly turned to say something to another helmeted head that just appeared beside her then turned towards them again. "By the way, nice flying today, Din."

Nerine pushed herself to stand and went back over the rock. Din's head was static.

"See? I told you to stop worrying." 

Predor gave him a punch on the shoulder which Din barely felt. He grunted a quiet "yeah", trying to pull himself back into conversation his friends resumed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I might be biting off more than I can chew with this fic but the idea got me too excited to not put out the first chapter.  
> I don't have more written as of now and idk how often this will be updated (school keeping me busy n all that) so sorry to make anyone who likes it wait :/  
> Hopefully writing it is easy enough that chapter 2 will be up in about a week.
> 
> Thanks for reading! :)


End file.
